Fuel lighter for furnaces



July 14, 1936. D. H, scRANToN ET AL 2,047,523

FUEL LIGHTER FOR FURNACES Original Filed Fen. 9, 1929 4 2 Sheets-Sheet lATTORN July M, 1936- D. H. scRAN-roN ET Al. 2,047,523

l FUEL .LIGHTER FOR FURNACES Y Original' Filed Feb. 9, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ,f4/bur d( ATTORN Ys Patented July 14, 193s 'PAT-ENToFFglcE 2,041.52: FUEL LIGHTER For. FUaNAcEs Donald H. Scranton, Budalo,and Raymond P. Moore, Kenmore? N. Y.

Application February 9, 1929, serial No. 338,650

- Renewed May V9, 1933 1iy claims. (ci. 15sesl This invent-ion relatesto a device by means of which fuel may be ignited in a furnace or otherplace by projecting a member forwardly and causing a spark, after whichthe member may be withn drawn some distance. At the same time secondaryfuel may be introduced through the lighter and ignitedand maintained forthe desired length of time. The device may be controlled from a remotepoint and several of them may be con'' trolled at the same time.

The-invention will be understood from the description in connection withthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a. longitudinal sectionthrough an illustrative embodiment of the fuel lighter; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through some 4of the parts on an enlarged scale;Fig. 3 isV an end view of the device; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionthrough a portion of a furnace wall showing one of the devices in placenear a burner; and

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatical view, show=l ing how a plurality ofthe devices .can be con.

trolled from a remote point.

1n the drawings reference character I indicates a hollow member,preferably cylindrically shaped, that is open at one end. A disc 2 isprovided in the cylinder i and carries a piston 3 that is attached tothe disc 2 in any convenient manner, so as to resist leakage of fluidpast the disc when uidis admitted to the cylinder on the left hand sideof the disc, as shown in Fig. l. A hollow pipe is attached to the disc 2and consists of two sections It and 5 connected by a union 6. A burneror nozzle 5 is attached to the end of the section 5. rIwo flanges orfins 'l are connected to opposite sides of the section 5 and rest uponguide' rollers 8 pivoted on a shaft 8 near the open end of the cylinderl. Stationary guides 9 are attached to the cylinder l onopposite sidesof the same and extend into positions along the upper sides of theflanges or fins 1.

An'annular ring or stop Il) for one end of a compression spring l l isprovided in the cylinder l intermediate its ends. The other end of thespring I I rests against the disc 2. The section t is provided with a'nannular shoulder Al' andfis connected to the disc 2 by a nut I2 that isscrewed onto the section 4 and draws the shoulder I thereof against anut I3 that rests against the face of the disc 2. A threaded washer I4is vscrewed upon the threaded end of'a sleeve Id' fitting tightly on thesection 4 so that the washer it can be adjusted longitudinally. Pipes l5and I t 'are connected to the cylinder I? on opposite sides of the disc2.

An opening I1 is provided through the side of the cylinder I. An arm I8of a mercoid switch extends through the opening l1 into a position to bestruck by the washer I4. The switch is pivoted at I9 and is normallyheld against the stop 20 by- 5 means of the spring 2 I. The switch maybe housed in a housing 22 on the cylinder I and the mercoid circuitclosing switch member 23 ofV a well known type is tilted back and forthto close the circuit 24 in the primary side of a high ten- 10 siontransformer (not shown), one side of the secondary'of the transformerbeing grounded and the other side being connected to the contact ele.

`:tied by the section 5. the ends of the electrodes 2liv and 3d beingspaced slightly apart near the outlet of the nozzle 5'.

The end of the cylinder l opposite the open end is closed by the disc43l that is provided with a threaded opening 3?. into which a plug isscrewed. A bracket @3 is attached to the disc 3l. A trip rod 3ft (Fig.2) ior a valve at the endof the section l of the pipe vpasses thrdugh ahole 35 in the bracket 33 and is screwed into a nut 36 which is seatedin a countersunk opening 3l in the bracket 33 to prevent the nut fromturning. A valve 3B provided with a cap 39 that is screwed `to the 'etis screwed into the valve 38 and extends a considerable distance intothe'section d. A spring stop dit is provided at the inner end of thepipe 4l and a compression spring le is interposed between the stop il@and a stop 'iithat is attached to the valve seat te. l in Fig@ is showna small portion of a furnace wall t@ having water wall tubes t9. Two ofthe water wall tubes as shown Iat 5l! are bent outwardly between which aburner 5I projects fuel to be burned in the furnace. The fuel lighter isindicated as being mounted in the housing 52 surrounding the burner 5iin such a position vthat when the section 5 is projected forwardly and aVspark is caused the fuel will be lighted as will now be explained.

valve, is spring-pressed against the valve seat Il!) 35 through thelpipe I into thecylinder I whereupon the disc 2 and pipe 5 are forced tothe right, as' seen, in Fig. 1. compressing the springV II. When thewasher I4 strikes the switch arm I8 the primary side of the .transformer,is closed, thereby nenergizing the contactl 25 with high potentialcurrent so that when contact is made between the spring 29 andthecontact 25 a spark is produced at the ends of the electrodes 21 and 36in front of the nozzle 5. .When the disc 2 has been forced forwardly asufficient distance to cause the cap 38 of the valve 38 to strike thehead 42 of the valve trip rod 34, the valve 38 is stopped andany-further movement of the disc 2 and valve seat 46 will open the valveto permit the fuel to pass through the sections 4 and 5 of the pipe.

When the` fuel passes through the nozzle 5' it will be ignited by thespark at the ends of the electrodes 21 and 30, thus igniting the fuelentering through the burner 5I. The parts may be so adjusted that thespark maytake place between the electrodes 21 and 30 without anysecondary fuel being introduced through the sections l and 5, thusdirectly igniting the fuel that enters through the burner 5I.

When it is desired to retract the electrodes the fluid pressure isrelieved behind thev disc- 2, whereupon the spring II moves the parts tothe retracted. position. As'soon as the valve seat 46 moves far enoughto contact with the valve 38," the valve closes. During this time theexpansion of the spring II forces the fluid back out through the pipeI5; Any uid that may have escaped by the piston 3 is drawn off throughthe 1 pipe I6. The combustible uid for projecting the electrodesforwardly may'be gas or oil, for example. y

Fig..-5 shows a somewhat diagrammatical arrangement of apparatus foroperating a plurality of the fuel lighters from a distant point.Referlence character 55 indicates a tank or supply of oil, for example,that is maintained `under pressure. A pipe 56 provided with a checkvalve 51 leads to a three way valve 58 and may have branches 59 leadingto corresponding three way valves for other lighters. A pipe leads fromthe three way valve 58 and has branches 60 leading into pipes I5 in thelighters already described.

Pipes 6I lead from the pipes I6v of the lighters to a tank 62. A pipe 63also leads from the three way valve 58 to the tank 62. lA pipe 64provided with a check valve 65 leads from the tank 62 to the tank 55.

' A pipe 66 leads from a source of compressed air (not shown) to thetank 55 and also to the three way valve 61. A valve 68 is provided inthe pipe 66. A pipe 69 leads from the three way valve 61 to the tank 62and a pipe 10 leads from the three way valve 61 to the atmosphere. Thepipe 66 may be provided with one or more branches 1I leading to otherfuel supply tanks.

'Ihe three wayv valves 58 and 61 may be so connected that they can beopened and closed simultaneously. When the valves 58 and 61 are turnedto the positions indicated in Fig. 5 and the oil in the tank55 is placedunder pressure by opening the valve 68, oil is forced through the pipe56 and branches 60, thus projecting the fuell lighters forwardly toignite the fuel in the furnace. At the same time whatever oil is in thetank 62 will drain by gravity into the tank 65, as the two tanks are atthat time under the same pressure. When it is desired to retract thelighters, the valves 58 and 61 are turned to the other positions,whereupon the springs I I will retract By this invention the ignitioname can be introduced into a furnace automatically by an operator at aremote point, thereby making it safe for the operator to light thefurnace; the ability to retract the nozzle avoids burning the same andalso prevents carbonization of the oil to clog it up; the ignitionfamecan be kept going whatever length of time is necessary. to insureignition of the fuel in the furnace; a single operator can light a largenumber of, boilers; and oil, gas or powdered fuel can be ignited eitherby the spark or by means of the secondary fuel that is introduced withthis device and ignited bythe spark. l i

We claim:

l. A fuel lighter comprising a cylinder having a stop, a piston for saidcylinder, a spring between said stop and piston, a pipe attached to saidpiston, means to pass fuel through said pipe, a valve for said pipewhich is opened at a predetermined position thereof, and means operatedby movement of said piston to ignite vsaid fuel.

2. A fuel lighter comprising a cylinder having a stop, a'piston for saidcylinder, a spring between ment of said piston to ignite said fuel, saidlast named means comprising an electric spark producing device.

3. A fuel lighter comprising a cylinder having a stop. a piston for saidcylinder, a spring between said stop and piston, a pipe attached to saidpiston, means to pass fuel through said pipe, a valve for said pipewhich is opened at a predetermined position thereof, a spring forclosing said valve, and means operated by movement of said piston toignite said fuel.

4. A fuel lighter comprising a cylinder having a stop, a piston for saidcylinder, a spring between said stop and piston, a pipe attached to saidpiston, Ka valve at one end of said pipe, and means to produce anelectric spark at the other end of said Dipe- 5. A fuel lightercomprising a cylinder having a stop, a piston for said cylinder. aspring between said stop andl piston, a pipe attached to said piston, avalve at one end of said pipe, a rod carried by said cylinder to opensaid valve, and means to produce an electric spark at the other end ofsaid pipe.

6. A fuel lighter comprising a cylinder having a stop, a piston for saidcylinder, a spring between* i' said stop and piston, a pipe attached tosaid piston, a valve at one end of said pipe, a rod carried ,by saidcylinder and extending into said pipe to open said valve, and means toproduce an electric(` spark at the other end of said pipe. u

7. In a device of the character/ described, a furand means correlatedwith said movable member accusa 3 to be rendered operative at apredetermined position thereof for igniting said ignition fuel. 8. In adevice of the character described. a furnace, means for introducing fuelinto said furnace', means for providing an ignition flame adjacent thepoint of introduction of said fuel, said last named means comprising amovable member through which lfuel is supplied for the ignition, meanswhereby said ignition fuel moves said movable member, and meanscorrelated with said movable member to be rendered operative at apredetermined position thereof for igniting said ignition fuel.

9. In a device of the character described, a furnace, means forprojecting fuel in fluid form into said furnace, means for providing anignition flame adiacent the point of introduction of said. fuel, saidlast named means comprising a movable member through which fuel issupplied for the ignition, and means correlated withl said movablemember to be rendered operative at a predetermined position thereof forignitlng said ignition fuel.

10. In a furnace. a fluid fuel burner mounted to permit movement to andfro from said furnace comprising a fuel supply pipe biased from thefurnace, means for feeding fuel vunder pressure to said burner, meansactuated by the pressure of the fuel operable to move said fuel supplypipe toward said furnace, and means correlated with said pipe andrendered operative'at a predetermined position thereof to ignite thefuel delivered from said of the ignition 'i'uel to move into ignitingrelationship, and means correlated with said movable member and operableat a predetermined position thereof to ignite said ignition fuel.

DONALD H. SCRAN'I'ON RAYMOND P. MOORE.

